The Blogosphere on 2013

No amount of time or certain linearity may be prescribed for personal growth or success in any area of life. Hence, from that point of view, a time frame of one year would be as wrong as any as to start with. However, the idea of using the rest of the 365 days as to get closer towards where you want to be in life is empowering in its own way.

Albeit we tend to associate success mostly with matters of the heart and traits like passion or even will power, the time frame of one year offers a model which pertains an even bigger chance for progress.

Model of changing your perception to some extent; adjusting your behavior as to build habits, discipline, redefining your work and efforts even. And 2013 may serve perfectly as to provide accountability, curb your enthusiasm and make it more durable, teach you to rely on work ethics more than anything else.

And this brings me to the question of why asking the blogosphere for advice. The answer is simple, really. These people got to where they are now thanks to astonishing work ethics, doing what they love, and having a certain attitude about it. And these are traits which require slight change of perception and showing up day in and day out.

I really cannot pretend to say more when we have – scrolling down – such advices coming from some of the most successful and interesting people on the net. So let them share some of their thoughts on how to make this year stand out in terms of being the year in which you become the person you want to be.

The one year period implies the possibility that everything is possible if you would set your mind up for it.

“Make 2013 the year you surround yourself with go-getters. Why? Because if everyone around you is doing awesome things, that will begin to feel normal – and make it easier for you to reach your big goals, too.

Grab coffee with an entrepreneur. Enjoy a Google Hangout with a fellow side-hustler. Read books by people who inspire you. Create your own normal, and you’ll quickly move closer to where you want to be.”

“The people around you control your success (or failure) much more than most realize. They can either kill your dreams or inspire possibility.

The fastest way to do the things you don’t think can be done is to hang around people already doing them. Brainwash the impossible. Environment is everything.

Choose your friends, colleagues and mentors wisely. The best part about it is it’s 100% in your control. You just have to do something with it. Surround yourself with world-changers and you will become one yourself.”

“I have found that a lot of people who are consciously trying to succeed often do not give themselves as much credit as they are due. They expect less from themselves than they are truly capable of, and as such, never reach their full potential.

If you are such a person, I have a little piece of advice for you: expect nothing of yourself. That may sound counterintuitive, but it is far better to expect nothing of yourself than to expect little.

Once you free yourself of what you think you can achieve, you are free to throw yourself into your endeavours with wild abandon. It is then that you will surprise yourself with what you are truly capable of.”

“When Slavko asked me to share advice to make this year stand out as our best, something occurred to me: I can’t do that, because I’m not striving to make this year my best.

I don’t believe that making time valuable requires me to see it as somehow better than the time that’s passed. In fact, I generally enjoy where I am much more when I allow myself to appreciate who I’ve been and how I’ve gotten here — even during the times when I’ve struggled.

So, if there’s one piece of advice I have to offer, it’s: Look back at the road you’ve traveled and celebrate the strength and wisdom you’ve gained. Then allow yourself to use what you’ve learned to live peacefully, purposefully, and joyfully in as many moments as you can. I find that when I focus in this way, growth occurs as a byproduct.”

“To have the best year ever, stop thinking and start taking action. We all have fears, worries and excuses. We all want things to be perfect. But it keeps us stuck. It keeps us waiting. When you take action despite all the reasons not to, you discover that all of the mind-stuff falls away.

Anything holding you back from moving forward must go. You can start today. You can start now. It’s scary. And it should be, because otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it.”

“In 2013 it’s absolutely critical you completely kill off the self-doubt monster that stops you from putting out all your great ideas.

I don’t care whether you use writing on a blog, audio on a podcast or video on YouTube, whatever the case is, don’t let fear of what other people will think of you or not being good enough be the reason why you don’t share what is inside of you.

Yes you will face reticule and criticism, but you will also help people. It’s important you develop a tough skin against the naysayers so you can help all the other people who will love what you do and say.

“I get asked what’s the biggest obstacle standing in the way of blogging success a lot. The answer is not something most will want to hear.

It’s You.

When it all comes down to it, you are the only thing that is stopping you from achieving whatever it is your heart desires. Success is an attitude. It is not money, wealth or power.

Take away the money of a successful person and he’ll have it all back and more in a few years. Give an unsuccessful person a million bucks and chances are he’ll lose it all in a few years. The difference is their attitude.

If you want to be successful, the first thing you need to change is your attitude. If you have the attitude of an unsuccessful person, then no amount of reading, couching or training is going to make you successful. Once you change your attitude, things will open up for you.”

“Around the same time every year, you see posts about resolutions, goals, and plans for why and how ‘this year will be different!’ For many people though, it never is, and I think I know the problem: you shouldn’t be waiting for some socially acceptable milestone to inspire yourself to become better than you currently are.

Success comes from discipline, not motivation, and the only thing that will get you to do what’s necessary day-after-day is to continually igniting that flame from within, regardless of what the calendar date is.

How can you do that? By resolving to scare yourself every single day. Usually, the best things you can do for yourself (the changes you KNOW will actually have an impact) are almost certainly the ones that scare you the most. I’m not saying you should get all crazy and not plan things out, but plan quickly and then make moves on those things that scare you.

Advice and “hacks” only go so far, and they won’t keep your internal motivation going for the marathon that is making real change in your life.

So, resolve to scare yourself every day, that’s the best way to start the New Year.“

“This year, I’m taking a different approach to goals than I usually do. Rather than trying to fix something deficient in myself, I’m only focusing on what I already do well, and trying to do that even better. When I spend too much time focused on fixing things I’m no good at, I just get upset with myself and feel like I’m always fighting an uphill battle.

So, this year is going to be focused on getting even better at what I’m already good at. This is easier to accomplish, and leaves me feeling quite happy with myself.”

“The universe really will conspire to help make our dreams come true, but she requires that we do our part as well. It’s up to us to make the commitment and start walking. It’s up to us to look ahead to where we want to be and work to get there.
And yes, sometimes, it’s up to us to take a deep breathe, swallow our pride, and put out a plea for help. Only then will the universe step to take care of things.”

If you allow others to make decisions for your life, you will wake up one day in a place that you never planned to be. Always, always, always make your own decisions for your own life.

Listen to the experts, but don’t let them rule your decisions. Allow them to guide you, but become educated in the area that the experts are operating so that you can then make your own qualified decisions.

Again, don’t have a lazy mind. Rather, have a learned mind. Be as Erasmus wrote many years ago – ‘When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.”

While you’re at it, make a little tea party and invite along all your superstitious beliefs and warped thoughts. Set a place at the table for “I’m not good enough!” and “I’m going to fail!” and “It’s not the right time!” You’ll be deeply unhappy, sure, but you’ll be safely protected inside the nest of your own excuses.

“Change comes from doing, doing is the key to changing what you don’t like to the things you do like, spend some time on ‘doing things’ that will build up to a major change, it doesn’t need to be a big onslaught, 5 minutes, 20 minutes or an hour a day each day for the whole of 2013 will be 365 new actions taken towards your desired result.

That is 365 times closer to a result than what sitting on the sofa watching TV will take you.”

“Here’s how you can make 2013 one of the best years of your life – stop following mediocre people, and stop setting mediocre goals. As of today, stop reading all of the mediocre blogs you follow. If the person you’re following hasn’t been where you want to be, you are wasting your time.

In addition, set extremely high goals for yourself. More importantly, specific goals, with a specific plan on how you’ll achieve them. How do these go together? If you’re getting advice from the right people, you will notice your goals becoming substantially easier to reach.

Here’s how most people will go through 2013:

Step 1: Set mediocre goals, or no goals at all.Step 2: Follow mediocre people with lots of followers- “I mean, hey, if everyone else is following them they must be good, right?”Step 3: Have a mediocre year

Here’s how you should go through 2013:

Step 1: Set high goals, with a specific time frame and plan to reach them.Step 2: Take advice from those you aspire to be like and ignore EVERYONE else.Step 3: 2013 should be life changing”

“Measure your success this year in how many people you figured out how to help. It actually takes a pretty big effort to figure out what someone wants, and then figure out what you can do to help the person get what they want. The more people you help, the more natural it is to receive help from other people. And no one has ever met huge, difficult goals without enlisting the help of others. “

“Everything you want out of life comes down to one simple thing. You need to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, then everything else will suffer. Start learning new skills, overcoming challenges you are afraid of, and building up more self confidence. This will give you the best chance to take on any new task with a more powerful mindset.”

“If you want to make your new year better than the previous, you need to continually push yourself.

Setup bit size goals that can be achieved in blocks of 7 days and make sure you achieve them. As long as you are hitting your goals, you’ll be better than the previous week, and you’ll have a better year.”

“2013 is upon us and already, I’m convinced it’ll be the best year yet.

The two things you need to make this year great?
– A plan of action and a (realistic) schedule.

Most resolutions and goals fail (quickly) because they lack both of these key components.

Before you set out to do big things, start with asking yourself WHY. Why do you want to lose 20 pounds? Why do you want to start a business? Why do you want to run a marathon? Don’t get caught up on the “how” – simply ask “why”. When you focus and embrace why you’re doing whatever it is you do, it’ll drive and motivate you to do great things.”

“2013 will be the year that healthy living goes mainstream. Not just yoga or weight loss, not just tracking devices or fitness apps, not just green drinks or bacon – but a fundamental shift in the way people think about how to live better, healthier, happier lives. And there couldn’t be a better time for it.”

“Strive to shrink the time it takes to actually get started on the ideas you deem worthy of your pursuit.

Far too often, those who fall short of the dreams they set for themselves do so because they never get past the “planning phase” and into actually doing the day to day tasks which are necessary in order to move their “dream” into reality.

If you’re not in the activity – the trenches so to speak, then all that life requires of you is far more likely to pull you away from doing what’s required of you to see your initial goal through. You here the saying, “you gotta’ be in it to win it” a lot for a reason – because there’s truth in it.

In life, we can live by chance, or choice. If you want more of the things you choose to show up in your life then you’ve got to do the actions that are going to make that possible.

“To make the most of this year, to make sure you truly grow instead of just dreaming about it focus on going smaller. Focus on taking small steps towards your goals or outside of your comfort zone. Focus on just taking care of today. Look forward and plan from time to time but most of the time keep your focus on the small steps and today to make 2013 your best year yet”.

“Appreciation and gratitude are the foundation of success. It’s about valuing your small victories, because small victories add up and grow up eventually to bigger ones.

Appreciate everything around you – like your family and colleagues. Appreciate also things that seem so self explanatory, things that you take for granted. For instance, feel happy about having all the time to read the morning newspaper with a cup of coffee – without having to rush anywhere. Those moments are golden and the ones that make you happy.

Write down all the great moments in a gratitude journal and get back to them when your life or your business throws a curve ball on your path. Those small things are the delight of your life and the seed of success.”

2013 holds 365 opportunities to show love to yourself. Use them. Loving yourself and finding peace of mind will enrich your life in ways you can’t even imagine.

I know what I’m talking about as I lived in a place of severe self-hatred for most of my life. I struggled with a raging eating disorder and believed I was unworthy of love, happiness and freedom.

Now, however, I know of my own worthiness and I realize every day that I am a gift to this world. You are too. Use this year to build a deeper relationship with yourself: one day at a time. Write love letters, go on dates with yourself, look in the mirror and say: I love you. Be creative and have fun.

And remember: you will spend the rest of your life with yourself; it’s time you start getting to know yourself. “

“A big part of reaching what you want in life is refusing to settle for what you don’t really want. Many people chose to accept living a mediocre life just because they don’t want to fight back anymore.

Real happiness can only happen when you believe that you are on your way to get what you really want even if you didn’t get it yet.

Be patient, have faith , do your best and don’t ever Give up until you fulfill your dreams”

“Every interaction, thought, behavior, and choice either moves you closer to your goals or farther from it. This is incredibly empowering because it means that today, right now, this moment you can take steps to live the life you have always dreamed of.

It all starts with one step. You must lose 1 pound before you can lose 50. You must make $1 before you can $1 million. You must write 1 page before you can write a book. Stop thinking and start doing.”

“Every single day you have a new opportunity. The potential for you is limitless. All YOU need to do is grasp it. Make sure EVERY SINGLE DAY in 2013 you are doing something that scares you. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. That’s how you live an extraordinary 2013.”

“In 2013 I am planning to transform my small projects into real businesses. Over the past couple of years I have only worked on small projects. A website here. A mobile app there. Sure, they made enough money to let me live comfortably, but they weren’t real businesses.

A real business has customers, it provides a service/product, it has employees, it creates value for everyone involved and, most importantly, it stands on its own.

Getting a real business running is a scary thing, but if you are an entrepreneur sooner or later you’ll need to face your fears and just do it.”

“Motivation is an interesting thing because people think there is going to be some magic moment that it will strike. But it doesn’t’ work like that. You have to act she you’re not motivated, and then you see results. Momentum kicks in and that’s when you feel motivated.

One other thought I have around this is to keep every commitment you make. The best way to do that is to make less commitments and say no when you have to.”

One of my own personal goals for 2013 is to spend less time perfecting things and more time just getting them out there. My desktop is crammed full of content and ideas that I’m “tweaking” or waiting for some final thing. Forget it! Just get it out there.

I tend to spend 90% of the time I give a project fiddling with 2% details. Not this year. I hope you’ll join me.”

“For 2013, scrap the heavy expectations and their demanding requirements. Those don’t work because they drain your motivation reserves in the first month. Instead, commit to a direction this year: better fitness/weight loss, starting a business, spending more time with family/friends, reading more, etc.

Once you have decided on your direction, give yourself related requirements so easy they sound stupid. For me? I’m taking the one push-up challenge in 2013 (see my article on Deep Existence) – only one push-up is required per day. I decide to do extra push-ups because I want to, not because I have to. I haven’t needed to generate motivation and it has and will continue to bring consistent progress.”

“In 2013, how about taking a step back in order to take a lot of steps forward? Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in running faster and faster, without taking the time to look at whether you’re going in the right direction.

With a baby (our first!) due in February, I’ll be taking around three months off from my business. I’ve never taken more than a couple of weeks away before – and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to plan for future projects and directions.

Whatever life has in store for you in 2013, I hope it’s a fantastic year. Good luck!“

“My calligraphy teacher taught me to write two characters, “當下”, which translates into “the moment of now.” It was to remind me that the past is sunk cost so why not let it go? The future is unknown, so stop fretting about it, for it worrying will not change anything.

Rather, work on self-awareness by focusing on the present moment – reflect the thoughts that initiated your behaviour, and the emotions behind the emotions.

Seriously, the possibilities are endless. So if you’re not excited and fulfilled by the life you are living, make a change. Start by spending some time getting really clear on who you are and what you want to do with your life. Once you’ve done this, make a plan and start to execute it.

If you need inspiration or help, look for people online or offline who have been successful in making positive change in their life. There’s no reason why this time next year you can’t have a totally different life from the one you have now. But you need to be willing to do some work, and you need to start today.”

“Main problem with productivity today is that people are trying to cure the symptoms superficially with techniques and methods, without paying attention to the causes.

Main productivity killers today, are found within ourselves, and no amount of task managers, organizational systems, GTD Methodologies will help us if we don’t change the way we approach problems on a mental level.

I would certainly recommend that people start with empowering their inner game, and then follow up with good balance of energy, rituals and habits.”

“The best advice I can really give is “Just do it!“. I see too many talented people planning something for years: It’s either bad timing, or lack of resources or personal issues or anything else preventing them from starting actually acting.

The truth is, there’s never a good time to change a new life or start something ambitious and new, so the only thing you can is just do it right now!

Just stop making excuses that you are not ready yet and start being afraid something might not work. You will never know until you try! Life is too short to keep planning!”

“My advice relies on simplicity also. There isn’t a thing that personal development legends – young or old, and philosophers- sane or not, haven’t said so far. And being a personal development aficionado myself, I respect many things said about striving towards success.

But when it goes to making progress it all comes down to the “action”. Do not focus so much on what you want to achieve, but on what to do as to get there. Focus on the “action”.

Implying an analogy it will go something like this: Don’t say that you want to look good, focus on doubling your training time and improving your diet. Don’t say that you want to be more successful, or have this or that; instead focus on investing yourself with getting up earlier, doing more work, refining your work input.

Learn what it is that makes you progress, do it more, and do it better.”

Adopt some of the thoughts these amazing people offer and embrace them; it’s all up to you to make this year the one where you become the person you want to be.

It’s scientifically-ish impossible to have a bad year after reading this article, unless you try to follow all of the advice at once and crash down in a massive burnout. But nobody do that, k? Have a great 2013 everyone who reads this!

A year ago I read the bloggers from the list and never even thought that I would be featured with them in one post. It feels amazing – really. Thanx Slavko. So many inspiring thoughts by people I follow all in one place :) Wish you all mind-blowing 2013 !

Awesome collection of bloggers and advice in one place. With this kind of motivation, things can only get better. Of course, that is if we stop reading, talking and start doing. :-) This should help make 2013 the best year ever.

Thank you for participating my friend.
I think that I’m just starting to realize what we did here :) Am I allowed to share my excitement too? Because seeing all these great people together really means something for me.

Share your excitement as much as you can, I certainly am, :-) When I saw that I was on a list with so many excellent big name bloggers my stomach flipped! A great list and one I am proud to be part of and will share all year. Thank you again. :-)

Hi Slavko
Thanks for the invitation to contribute my two cents worth of thoughts. It’s a great compilation of advice here and I learnt a lot from other bloggers too. Here’s to wishing everybody well in 2013!
Noch Noch

Wow Slavko, I appreciate your effort for collecting all of the ideas from some of the big names on the blogosphere. I won’t be able to count the number of times I’ll visit to this page to check all of the blogs and bloggers. Some of them are closer to me.

I like what John Chow said about changing your attitude, I’ll surely follow it.